Dario Franchitti to Drive Camaro Z/28 Indy 500 Pace Car

NEW YORK--March 25, 2014: Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti
will drive a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 to pace the 98th running of the
Indianapolis 500 on May 25.

It’s the eighth time a Camaro has been the pace car, starting in
1967 – and the 25th time a Chevrolet has paced the race.

Franchitti won the Indy 500 in 2007, 2010 and 2012, and he is only the
third driver ever to win at least three consecutive IndyCar titles –
among four championships overall. Franchitti’s appearance in the
Camaro Z/28 pace car signals a new start in his career as he embarks on a
driver development role with Chip Ganassi Racing, which will use Chevrolet
power in the 2014 IndyCar season.

“Dario is a true champion who has earned the respect of
competitors and race fans alike,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S.
vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. “It will be
very special to have Dario lead the field to the green flag in the Camaro
Z/28 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”

Said Franchitti: “It is a tremendous honor for me to be asked to
drive the Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500. As a historian of motorsport
and as a three-time winner of this great race, I will appreciate every
minute of getting to pace the field in the new 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.
Although I won't be competing in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, this
will be as close as one person can get to the action. I can't wait until
May in Indianapolis.”

Chevrolet has a long, shared history with the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon IndyCar Series. Chevrolet
was founded in 1911, the year of the inaugural 500-mile race, and the
Chevrolet brothers – company co-founder Louis, Arthur and Gaston
– all competed in early Indy 500 races. Arthur Chevrolet competed in
the 1911 race and Gaston Chevrolet won it in 1920.

“We are excited to have Dario Franchitti lead this year's
Indianapolis 500 starting field to the green flag,” said J. Douglas
Boles, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Dario's appearance
in the Camaro Z/28 Pace Car will be special for race fans and it
underscores Chevrolet’s important place in the past, present and
future of the Indianapolis 500.”

Chevrolet competed in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer
in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V-8 engines, and returned in 2012 with the
Chevrolet IndyCar twin-turbo V-6 engine with direct injection. Tony Kanaan
won the 2013 Indy 500 in his Chevrolet-powered race car, leading Chevrolet
to seven of the top 10 finishes – including the top four. Chevrolet
also earned the IndyCar manufacturer championship titles in 2012 and
2013.

About the Camaro Z/28

The 2014 Camaro Z/28 is the most track-capable model in its history,
building on the legacy of the original SCCA Trans Am-series contender
introduced in 1967. It is solely focused on track capability, with unique
exterior elements designed like a race car to produce downforce that
presses the car against the track for greater grip – up to 1.08 g in
cornering acceleration – and faster lap times.

The aerodynamically optimized design helped the Camaro Z/28 log a 7:37
lap on Germany’s legendary Nürburgring road course – four
seconds faster than the Camaro ZL1 – and faster than published times
for the Porsche 911 Carrera S and the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.

Additional contributors to the car’s track performance include
greater stopping power. The Z/28 features Brembo carbon ceramic brakes
capable of 1.5 g in deceleration; consistent brake feel lap after lap; and
reduced curb weight. The naturally aspirated Z/28 weighs 300 pounds less
than the supercharged Camaro ZL1, with changes ranging from lightweight
wheels to thinner rear-window glass. In fact, 100 percent of the un-sprung
mass – suspension wheels, tires and brake system – differs from
the Camaro SS, dramatically enhancing the balance and overall driving feel
of the Z/28.

Power comes from the 7.0L LS7 engine, with dry-sump oiling, rated at an
SAE-certified 505 horsepower (376 kW) and 481 lb-ft of torque (652 Nm). The
engine is built by hand at the new Performance Build Center within
GM’s Bowling Green, Ky. assembly plant.